Family Reunion – Yay! or Yuk?

When’s the last time you attended a family reunion? Do you love going to them, or do you force yourself to go out of duty?

My parents are here visiting, and when my mom told me there was a family reunion she wanted to attend, I’ll admit, I wasn’t at all excited. Many of the people I haven’t see since I was a child, so the prospect of saying, “I’m Carol’s daughter, or “Alfred was my grandfather didn’t excite me. Add to that, I’ve been fighting a cold, so I had a pretty good excuse to weasel out of going, but in the end, I didn’t want my mom to make the 2 hour drive herself, so we went.

I can’t say that it was a rip-roaring fun time, but I will say it was worth it to see cousins, aunts and uncles – some that I haven’t see in a long time, and even my childhood piano teacher, who is my second cousin. It was also good to see my mom together with all but 2 of her siblings, and my oldest living great aunt,who is till sharp as a tack at age. 92.

Toward the end, everyone sang, “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” and that old hymn gets me every time – especially the final”Amen”.

I brought home an antique hymn book a few weeks ago, and the first page in the book is so beautiful, I had to share it. It’s the wonderful old hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy.

Enthusiasm runs high when one attends a reunion. It especially gives children memories to build upon ~ a sense of belonging outside their immediate family. My praise not only goes to the volunteers to put immense personal effort, time and money into coordinating the event, but the family genealogists who keep the ties strong. Growing up, I knew of perhaps 20 or 30 relatives on my mother’s side…..now I am aware of literally hundreds across my nation ~ largely in part to 2 family genealogists who still live to share our history and have committed it to paper. In twenty years or so, they may be gone….it is my sincere hopes that the younger generations step in to keep our ancestors’ history alive. How I wished I had asked my parents more questions when they were alive…if only to share it with my grandchildren today. These are one of the bonds that keep a family strong.

I can’t say as I’m a fan of family reunions at all, so I guess I’m fortunate that no one has taken the initiative to set one up for many years. I’m glad that you were able to find a lot of good in your family reunion and I’ll bet your Mom was sooooo appreciative that you went with her…you’re a good daughter!

What a beautiful page from your new-to-you antique hymn book…that’s a really lovely graphic at the top! Thank you so very much for sharing it with us!

I have never been to our family reunion on my dad’s side. They are in Minnesota and we are in Texas. But I never knew they had one, because we were never invited! I found out a few years ago, and would love to have gone because we’ve lost many aunts and uncles over the past years. I have lovely memories of visiting MN when I was a young girl. But it’s a long way to travel, and we couldn’t make it this year either (it was a few weeks ago). My husband’s maternal side is having a first ever reunion in a few weeks, but we won’t make that either. We are both closest to this extended family, and have seen them most often the last 34 years we have been together. We saw many of them a few months ago when we went back for a funeral. Circumstances won’t allow us to get there this time, even though we would have loved to go. So, from our point of view, they are more of a “Yay.”

We choose our friends… Family is cast in stone. Momma passed at age 92 in April, the last of her generation. All 5 of her sister’s children came to her memorial. They came from out of state(s) with their spouses. My sister & I were sad for our loss while simultaneously glad momma was released from life’s grip which had become a painful struggle in her final days.
Listening to our cousins’ memories of happy, funny, positive experiences buffered our grief profoundly. Somehow their love for her was like finding treasure we didn’t realized was buried in our own field.
American families have sadly become diluted by easy divorces, miles & technological advances. Is losing the basis of family structure the cost of “progress”? We wouldn’t (or at least shouldn’t) build a house w/o a solid foundation, nor plant a tree in shallow soil… Does anyone actually believe building & planting are “yucky”?

I am 66 yrs old and all there is now is cousins and we don’t visit much. I was like you i hated going to those things but,now i wish i had ask questions about my mom and their family so i would have stories to tell my grandchildren that never got to meet her.Maybe you already have a book full of history,that you have written down.Have a great day Angie.

I am a real fan of family reunions!!! Since my aunts, uncles, and cousins and I have been close since we were little, I just always felt they were really a part of who I am. Last summer, one of my brothers and I planned one at his house, since he had a pool. Our other brother boo-hooed the whole thing, saying people wouldn’t come, it would be too hot, etc. I kept saying, “I don’t care who comes. If only ONE cousin comes, then I think it was worth it!!” That day was gorgeous, not too hot, and enough cousins came to make it sooo enjoyable. I think we all had a real sense of the importance of love in the family, and they enjoyed it as much as we did! With all of the aunts and uncles now deceased, we especially appreciated OUR being alive to share in that time together. I always do my best to go to any reunion I am invited to!

I prefer smaller get togethers. Family reunions are so overwhelming! I’d rather just have dinner or lunch with a few people at a time! But then I’m a hermit! Thanks for the lovely vintage sheet music. I just love the artistry of older things…they put their hearts into everything they did, didn’t they?

Well, Angie! I for one was so happy to see my old cousins! Of course of which I am the eldest! And seeing the younger cousins/our children being together renewing friendships gone by made my heart very very happy! Even Uncle Bob said it was fun, & I am so glad to see my sister here from Albuquerque & my two brothers from Tx & NM too, along with my nieces whom I hardly ever see from Chicago & Tx. So humor us…… I just hope our reunions do not end with my generation! We have only one aunt left now from many aunts & uncles. So nice she was able to come with her daughters! I say Yay! Blest Be The Tie That Binds Our Hearts In Mutual Love is a favorite hymn that fits so nicely humankind!

I admit I wasn’t thrilled about family reunions until I went to my first one as an adult. Got to visit with aunts and uncles I had vague memories of. I was hooked. I went to 2 last year. One was celebrating 100 years of our family in Montana. That was major fun although way to hot outside.
Thank you for the graphic. The top of the page is gorgeous.